


Lost

by Insane1001



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-02 16:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4066693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insane1001/pseuds/Insane1001
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carl got lost in the woods</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost

Carl was lost he came to terms with that when he turned and he couldn’t see the park any more all he could see was the woods the trees, bushes the dirt and the sticks and the wild life every little noise made him jump and every tree branch that moved with the wind made him turn. 

He kept moving hopefully he would find a clearing or the park or even a house with a person inside the sun rose and dipped again, Carl knew his dad would be panicking and when night fall hit the sun sunk and the moon rose the fear of death rose along with it, he was going to be attacked by some animal that could smell his fear.

He kept wandering ears on high alert and eyes straining against the darkness, his feet as he walked broke dry leaves and sticks at hearing a stick he hadn’t stepped on break he paused heart beating something was out there he stayed still hoping if he didn’t move or breath or make any noise what ever was out there would move along Until he heard the voice.

“What you doin out here alone kid” The voice was low and rough but raspy like it wasn’t used often, turning Carl made out the figure of a man, he moved closer   
“Well,” he asked Carl hesitated  
“I got lost wandered to far away from the park and my dad is gonna be worried” he saw the faint outline of the mans face nod  
“Follow me my house isn’t far I'll take you back in the morning” Carl nodded but the man had already started moving passed him and into the darkness, Carl had to jog to keep up with the man and as they walked Carl realized how loud he was when he walked the noise he made this man was silent on his feet like he floated instead of touched the ground.

Then the house or the shack came into view a single light on the porch and as they neared it Carl got a better look at the man he had long hair bangs falling in his eyes as he walked, a crossbow slung across his back with a string of squirrels over a shoulder.   
“Uhh how far is the park from here” Carl questioned the man turned hair still in his face  
“Hour maybe 2 depends how fast you walk I’ll take you in on my bike in the morning” Carl nodded and followed him inside  
“My names Carl”   
“Daryl” as Carl walked inside he heard Daryl shut the door and he stopped for a minute to look around there was a bed in the corner and a door to what was mostly likely the bathroom in the other corner was a stove and a table along with two chairs, no pictures or anything on the walls a couple of hooks where Daryl hung his cross bow from. He jumped at the sudden sound of Daryl voice now next to the stove  
“You ever eaten squirrel?” he questioned   
“No” Daryl nodded   
“Well, thats what were having don’t got much else” Carl nodded  
“I’ll try it” Daryl turned and continued with cooking not making any noise until they sat down to eat.

Carl was surprised at how safe he felt in Daryl’s presence he radiated safeness but at the same time he radiated darkness and a dangerous aura Carl felt he would be under estimated at times but at other times people would stay clear of him.

Daryl let Carl use his bed and moved to the porch leaving Carl alone, Carl fell asleep moments later the day taking its toll on him his last thought was that he could’t wait to see his dad again.

The morning came and the sun rose Carl woke up to Daryl packing a bag of supplies, crossbow already across his back and hunting knife in its sheath on his hip, Carl sat up rubbing at his eyes Daryl turned and with the new found sunlight Carl could see Daryl’s eyes and the kindness that flickered through them before they turned stone cold again.

Carl was not expecting a women jaw hanging loose from her head to come charging at them the moment they stepped out, or for Daryl to react by plunging his hunting knife deep into the woman’s head hitting the brains, Carl watched the woman fall silently his body refusing to move as the fear crept back into his mind  
“Lets go kid” The voice snapped him out of it and he soon found himself being swept up into Daryl’s arms shoved into a blue yute with a bike attached to the back, Carl focused watching as Daryl killed another human with his cross bow before he clambered into the vehicle beside Carla and started driving.  
“We need to find my dad you promised you would take me to him” Carl cried Daryl just turned  
“The worlds gone kid dead humans tryin to eat the livin we can head to the park but I aint keeping any promises” Carl nodded happy with the negotiation and turned to watch the scenery as they drove cringing every time they passed a dead human.

Daryl was silent through the drive keeping to the back roads were less walkers were around the roads were smaller barely there and they twisted and turned and branched off it was a miracle Daryl knew where he was going. 

After 30 minutes of silence Carl started getting fidgety he turned looking at Daryl  
“When did you learn to hunt” Daryl stayed quiet minutes passed and Carl sighed turning back to face the road   
“I was a kid my brother taught me” Carl looked at him  
“Why” Daryl glanced at him mouth still in a frown   
“Gotta eat s’what us and them dead bastards have in common” Carl frowned  
“Didn’t your parents by you food” Daryl frowned and Carl watched as his hands tensed the skin pulling taught around the steering wheel the skin going white   
“Nah he was either drunk, out on a bender or passed out hunting was our best bet if we wanted to eat” they fell back into a silence Carl turning to look out the window imaging having to live of the world like that.

They sat in silence until they got to the town  
“Here’s that park” Daryl murmured Carl perked up his neck straining as he looked around and frowning when he saw the numerous dead people shuffling around some heading in their direction  
“I don’t see him” He murmured Daryl shrugged  
“He might’ve kept moving or went after you if he’s not here he could be long gone now” Carl shook his head feeling the tears welling in his eyes as Daryl restarted the Yute and they moved through the town, Carl curled in on himself flinching at the sudden weight of Daryl’s hand on his shoulder  
“You can stay with me till we find him” Daryl murmured and Carl looked at the man who had helped him when he was lost, who had fed him, given him his bed and saved him from the dead people and nodded he felt safe with Daryl.

Daryl nodded stopping the truck outside a shop  
“You stay in the truck while I grab some supplies lock the door’s as soon as I'm out and don’t open them till I'm back and in sight” Carl nodded and watched Daryl slip out crossbow in hand and go into a shop, he locked the doors like Daryl told him.  
Minutes later Daryl reemerged plastic bags full with water and tinned food which he threw in the back while he waited for Carl to unlock his door  
“Any trouble?” he questioned and at Carl’s shake of the head he started the vehicle and they were leaving the town and the only lead to where ever his dad was his last hope to finding him had been left in the dust.

“Y’know when I was a kid younger than you I got lost” Carl turned surprised  “really?”  
“Yeah 9 days survived on berries got lost in the deep parts of the woods were normal people don’t normally venture” Carl looked at him  
“Did they find you” Daryl smirked “yeah right my dad was off drunk, Merle was in juvie didn’t even know I was gone, I made my way back though” Carl sat quietly pushing down the sudden urge to hug Daryl and filled with a sudden surge of happiness that Daryl had found him when he had.

They stopped occasionally raiding stores towns flew by they soon ran out of fuel for the car and had to transfer to the bike, supplies transferred to a single pack they left the truck behind and continued on the bike camping out at night sleeping under the stars taking out walkers, Daryl started teaching him how to handle a knife and guns. 

Carl always kept eyes out for his dad hoping to catch sight of him but never did weeks passed they managed forming a kinship, Daryl treated him like an adult and never hid things from him, allowing him to try things he had never tried like using a gun or his cross bow.  The nightmares started, dreams of his dad of his mum being killed by walkers as they had started calling them he always woke up curled into Daryl’s side or into his chest as Daryl looked into the fire giving Carl enough respect not to call him out on the tears falling and how he trembled Daryl would wrap an arm around him pull him closer and just sit there Carl looked for that comfort.

They avoided big groups they would watch them looking for Carl’s dad and when the didn’t see him they moved on sticking with each other. The bike became useless so they continued on foot trekking through the woods Carl became absorbed in watching how Daryl Walked so he could copy him and he soon mastered semi-quiet walking, Daryl would throw advice out every know and then.

The winter hit fast and hard and they soon found a small house with enough supplies to last a while, they barred the house making it safe from walkers and other unwanted visitors the food was soon being rationed between them with Daryl giving more of his portion to Carl so the kid was still getting enough to grow. Carl watched as Daryl lost any weight he had in fat leave his body becoming thin and agile broad shoulders and thin waist muscles covering bone no fat to be seen, his cheeks became gaunt cheekbones sticking out, his hair was longer than ever getting in his eyes when he moved. Carl would try to deny the food trying to get Daryl to eat but Daryl would just throw a glare at him and even if Carl tried to tell himself other wise he still feared Daryl as nice as he could be he could be even scarier especially with his quiet agile movements and aim that never missed.

They stayed in the house for weeks living off canned goods and any food they found or Daryl managed to hunt during the good days of the winter and Carl slowly lost hope in ever finding his dad or his mum, he made peace with it and didn’t grieve a piece of him still hoped but the rest of him knew they were dead.   
Carl started calling Daryl a lone wolf in his head and he knew Daryl fit the description perfectly he worked better alone always catching more when hunting, silent but deadly. His rough exterior was always in place eyes hard and cold like steel as he glared.

The winter slowly subsided leaving slower than it came in and after a week or so they were moving again sticking to the woods and staying of the roads, staying away from the groups that they did see not even watching them any more they just kept moving.

Carl never fully understood Daryl until he saw him without a shirt Daryl had been changing into a clean shirt he had found when Carl saw him Daryl had his back to him as he changed and Carl saw the scars marring Daryl’s back covering him he saw how they winded around his sides over his shoulders leading to his front, different marks small thin lines and thick lines small circles and larger burns there were chunks where skin had been torn out. Daryl turned pulling the shirt down but stopped at seeing Carl and Carl got to see his front he saw the scars that winded around from his back on his sides and shoulders and how they continued onto his front the scars marring his front where no better different shapes and sizes. 

Everything was clear those small flinches at sudden noises or movements, Daryl having to learn to hunt when he was a kid to eat, how he got lost and no one knew he was gone, how sometimes Daryl would wake up silent screams or biting into his hand to smother the screams. Carl understood as he moved forward hugging Daryl around the middle, feeling Daryl tense and then relax letting his hand sit on top of his head.

Carl thought of Daryl as part father part older brother someone he could count on, he continued that belief even when they were grabbed by a group who wanted their non-existing supplies and decided Carl would be a good punching bag, Carl had watched as Daryl fought tooth and nail throwing himself in front of Carl and taking the brute of the pain, they left them alone soon after and Carl watched in disbelief as Daryl got to his feet the next day and walked with out any sight of pain and knew he classed Daryl as family even if he wasn’t blood.

Then suddenly his father was there pulling him from Daryl hugging him and Carl stood there in disbelief as Rick his dad completely ignored Daryl as he grasped Carl’s face checking for injuries commenting in his hair how tall he had gotten and when Carl had asked about his mum Rick had shaken his head and Carl had nodded, turning back in his fathers arms he looked for Daryl but all he saw was the distant angel wings on the vest he wore fading into the tree’s before he could call out, Carl knew even with what Daryl had taught him he would never be able to find him when Daryl disappeared he disappeared but he called out any way struggling out of his dad’s arms trying to reach out into the woods trying to summon him back.

Carl was taken back to the prison they had been using as a home he was shown around and all he could do was stare at the fence hoping to see Daryl in the distance he was handed a baby his father claiming it was his baby sister and that his mother had died giving birth to her, Carl just zoned out cradling the baby and looking out at the fence once again wishing for Daryl to appear.

Carl slowly got used to the prison still hoping for Daryl but getting to know the people he would take care of Judith his baby sister he would tell her stories about Daryl she would gurgle in happiness and his dad would ask about Daryl sometimes about how long they had been together and Carl knew his dad felt guilty he hadn’t been able to give Daryl the choice to stay hadn’t been quicker to ask him before he disappeared.

It was weeks maybe months later when Carl saw Daryl again his dad and him where out on a run looking for supplies they had parked the car and they had walked the rest of the way into the town when they had seen Daryl walking out of a store a bag in is hand with small amount of cans and a bottle of water, He had dirt covering his clothes blood on any thing that didn’t have dirt his crossbow was in his other hand, he looked smaller skinnier than before Daryl had seen them immediately stepping back a little he obviously hadn’t been prepared for Carl connecting with his middle and hugging him   
“Missed you Daryl” Daryl had just chuckled  
“Me to kid” this time Rick had managed to ask Daryl who shrugged   
“Sure for a little while”

Daryl became a silent presence in the prison being every where and no where coming and going, he never stayed in one place for to long and never slept in the same place at night he moved to the inner corner of the prison the rooms that no one had ever been in Daryl found them, cleared them out and slept in them slowly creating a map in his head he took out walkers he came across, getting rid of the bodies he set up traps to stop walkers from getting in, Carl would sit with Daryl the silence comforting Carl would watch him work watch him sharpen knifes, clean the guns or work on his crossbow.

Then the governor attacked and the whole group was separated Daryl was alone again he walked through the woods back to his same old routine the loneliness setting in he moved deeper into the woods ears and eyes alert, the grief setting in they were all dead there was no way they would find each other and with that in mind he moved deeper ready to start the path of the lone wolf as Carl would call it.  
 Weeks passed as Daryl moved hunting, tracking he stayed away from the roads and stayed away from any people. He took down walkers and took down humans when the need would arise. That was until he saw the smoke and the flames the walkers burning and the humans burning as well.

He managed to stumble across the group he’d been in a void looking at the flames and smoke he hadn’t seen them he hadn’t noticed them until a voice had called out his name and he was being hugged around the middle again looking down he was faced with the kid who was still alive and looking up the whole group was there, now moving towards him Rick hugged him next then Carol, Maggie, Michonne managed a shoulder clap He listened to them comment on how skinny he had gotten how long his hair was and how dirty he was.


End file.
